Adjustable form for work caps and the like



Aug. 30, 1966 R. A. R. HUMALAINEN 3,269,613

ADJUSTABLE FORM FOR WORK CAPS AND THE LIKE Filed Dec. 10, 1964 T INVENTOIR. fi y ROBERT A. R. HUMALAJNEN HUT "2- p BY I amml mmg J ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,269,618 ADJUSTABLE FORM FOR WORK CAPS AND THE LIKE Robert A. R. Humalainen, 884 Mill St., Conneaut, Ohio Filed Dec. 10, 1964, Ser. No. 417,383 Claims. (Cl. 223-25) This invention relates generally, as indicated, to an adjustable form for work caps and, more particularly, to a form which is adapted to support and maintain a cap in its proper shape while the same is drying after having been washed.

It is desirable to use some means for holding caps, such as baseball caps, golf caps, and work caps of the type worn by shop workers and railroad workers, for example, in proper shape while they are being dried subsequent to having been laundered. Otherwise, such caps are apt to shrink and, moreover, such caps would require ironing or pressing. While various types of cap drying and shaping devices have been previously devised, none of such devices have proven to be entirely satisfactory,

either because they are too expensive, complex, difficult to manufacture, or diflicult to adjust to different cap sizes. Moreover, none of such devices is capable of properly maintaining the shapes of caps of the type that have sloping crowns, such as baseball caps and golf caps.

It is therefore a principal object -of this invention to provide a novel adjustable cap form which is more simple in construction, less expensive and more easy to manufacture, and more simple to adjust than previous known types of cap forms.

It is another object to provide such a cap form which will prevent shrinkage of the cap and preclude wrinkles from forming therein while such cap is being dried, thus eliminating the necessity of having to iron or press the same.

Yet another object is to provide such a cap form which can be adapted to be used to support and maintain the shape of caps which have sloping crowns as well as flat crowns while such caps are being dried.

Still another object is to provide a cap form which is made either entirely of plastic or of plastic and non-rusting metals, such as brass, to avoid the possibility of leaving rust marks on the caps supported thereby.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, the invention, then, comprises the features hereafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description and the annexed drawing setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principle of the invention may be employed.

In said annexed drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a preferred embodiment of adjustable cap form in accordance with the present invention prior to being made into the shape of a circular band;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the adjustable cap form of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of such cap form as it appears when made into a circular band ready for use, such circular band being shown with a crown support attachment secured thereto;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged vertical section taken on the plane of the line 44 of FIG. 3 showing the preferred form of button connection between the ends of the form;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged vertical section similar to that of FIG. 4, but illustrating a modified form of button connection between the form ends;

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FIG. 6 is a side elevation of the cap form as shown in FIG. 3, but on a reduced scale, with a golf cap disposed therearound;

FIG. 7 is a side elevation of the cap form of FIG. 6, but with a baseball cap disposed therearound; and

FIG. 8 is a side elevation of the cap form of both FIGS. 6 and 7, but with the crown support attachment removed therefrom and with a work cap disposed therearound.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing, there is illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 a preferred example of adjustable cap form 1 constructed in accordance with the present invention prior to being made into the shape of a circular band. As can readily be seen, the cap form 1 consists generally of an elongated strip 2 of flexible plastic material, such as polyethylene, for example, one end 3 of which is narrower than the other end 4 and is in the shape of a tongue 5. While the length and width of the strip may obviously be varied as desired, it has been found that a strip approximately 5 inches wide and 28 inches long can be adjusted to give satisfactory support for a relatively wide range of cap sizes. Moreover, the width of the strip will vary, depending on the particular plastic from which the strip is made, but it has been found that A; inch thick polyethylene strip has suflicient rigidity when made into a circular band to support adequately and shape a cap disposed therearound in a manner which will be more fully explained hereafter. Through the other end 4 of the strip 2 there are provided a pair of longitudinally spaced, transversely extending slots 6 and 7, each slot being slightly Wider and longer than the tongue 5 so that such tongue 5 may be inserted through the slots. Projecting outwardly from one side 8 of the strip 2 between the slots 6 and 7 there are a pair of laterally spaced transversely aligned buttons 10, such buttons preferably being made in brass or other such non-rusting metal so that should they come into contact with a wet cap, they will not leave rust marks thereon. Moreover, such metal buttons 10 are desirably secured to the strip 2 by forcing a portion thereof into and through holes 11 provided therefor in the manner shown in FIG. 4. Alternatively, such buttons 10 may be plastic projections formed by pressing the plastic strip in the manner shown in FIG. 5, for example.

Extending through the tongue portion 5 of the strip 2 there are provided a plurality of pairs of longitudinally spaced holes or apertures 15, one hole of each pair being in longitudinal alignment with one of the buttons 10 and the other hole of each pair being in longitudinal alignment with the other button 10. Thus, the strip 2 may be made into a circular band 16 such as shown in FIG. 3 by inserting the tongue 5 first through the outer slot 6 from the side 17 of the strip opposite the buttons 10 and then through the slot 7 from the side 8 of the strip, after which the ends 3 and 4 of the strip are moved relative to each other until the desired pair of holes 15 are in alignment with the buttons 10 and then the buttons are pressed into such holes. As is evident, the pairs of holes 15.are so spaced that when each pair is disposed adjacent the buttons 10, a circular band of varying cap sizes is formed, the exact size preferably being indicated on the tongue 5 adjacent each pair of holes in the manner shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, as by providing raised numerals on the plastic material. While cap sizes of from 6 to 7% have been indicated, this is merely illustrative and can of course be varied as desired.

Once the circular band 16 is formed, it is a simple matter to adjust the band to different cap sizes. This is done by forcing the buttons 10 out of the particular pair of holes 15 in which they happen to be pressed and moving the ends 3 and 4 of the strip 2 relative to each other in one 3 direction or the other until the numeral which designates the particular cap size desired is directly adjacent the pair of buttons 10, at which time the projections are pressed into the holes aligned therewith. Now a work cap such as shown in FIG. 8 of the type generally worn by shop workers, railroad workers, and the like which has just been freshly laundered may be tightly positioned over the preadjusted form 1 so that the outwardly facing side 8 of the strip 2 engages the side walls 21 of the cap 20 with the generally horizontal crown 22 thereof in a substantially fiat and stretched condition. Of course, if there are any pleats around the side of the cap such as shown at 23, they may be adjusted by hand while the cap is supported by the form. The cap with the form therein is then allowed to dry, after which the cap when removed from the form is ready to be worn with little or no ironing. Moreover, the form is also effective in preventing shrinkage of the cap while it is drying.

This circular band 16 as described above is not very well suited for use in maintaining the proper shape of a golf cap or baseball cap, however, since as can readily be seen in FIGS. 6 and 7, both a golf cap 24 and baseball cap 25 are provided with substantially sloping crown portions 26 and 27, respectively, which due to the circularconfiguration of the band 16, would not be supported at all by such a band inserted within the cap. However, the circular band 16 may be readily adapted to provide the necessary support for the respective sloping crowns of the golf cap 24 and baseball cap 25 by securing thereto a crown support attachment 30 in the manner shown in phantom lines in FIG. 3, for example. Such attachment 30 may be secured to the strip 2 adjacent one edge thereof as by means of snap fasteners 31 and is made from a flexible plastic material so that the same will conform to the shape of the crown of the cap in the manner shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, for example. While the particular configuration of the crown support attachment 30 may be varied as desired, it is preferred that it have a tongue shape similar to that shown in FIG. 3 and that its dimensions be such that it only engages a portion of the inner surface of the crown of the cap.

As is evident, when a golf cap 24 and baseball cap 25 are disposed over the crown support attachment 30 and cap form 1 in the manner shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, respectively, the crown support attachment 30 will be caused to flex in such a manner that it will conform to and support the crowns of the caps in their proper shapes. Of course, when the caps are removed from the form 1, the crown attachment 30 will again return to its normal unflexed condition shown in FIG. 3.

From the above discussion, it should now be quite apparent that the adjustable form of the present invention is not only inexpensive and simple in construction, but it also can be readily adapted to to support a multitude of different sizes and shapes of caps with little effort.

Other modes of applying the principles of the invention may be employed, change being made as regards the details described, provided the features stated in any of the following claims or the equivalent of such be employed.

I therefore, particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. An adjustable form for maintaining a cap in proper shape during the drying thereof comprising a flat elongated plastic strip of uniform thickness formed in the shape of a circular band, said strip being of a uniform height from one end for a substantial portion of its length, said strip having a pair of longitudinally spaced laterally extending slots therethrough adjacent said one end, and a pair of laterally spaced outwardly projecting buttons between said slots, the other end of said strip being narrower than said slots for insertion therethrough, and a plurality of pairs of longitudinally spaced apertures in said other end in longitudinal alignment with said pair of buttons, said buttons being adapted to be pressed into any one of said pairs of apertures for adjusting the size of said band.

2. The form of claim 1 wherein said buttons are made of brass and are secured to said strip by forcing a portion thereof through holes provided therefor in said strip between said slots.

3. The form of claim 1 wherein said buttons are plastic projections pressed out of said strip.

4. An adjustable cap form comprising an elongated flexible plastic strip, means for adjustably securing the ends of said strip together to form a circular band of varying diameters, and a flexible plastic projection means extending outwardly from the edge of said strip, said projection means in its unflexed condition extending straight out from said strip, and being of decreasing width toward its free end to impart greater flexibility thereto the further away from said strip, said projection means being adapted to be flexed by the crown of a baseball cap and the like to conform to and support such crown in its proper shape guring drying when such cap is tightly positioned over said orm.

5. The form of claim 4 wherein said elongated plastic strip is of uniform thickness and of uniform height from one end for a substantial portion of its length, and said means for adjustably securing the ends of said strip together to form a circular band of varying diameters comprises a pair of longitudinally spaced laterally extending slots through said strip adjacent said one end, a pair of laterally spaced outwardly projecting buttons between said slots, the other end of said strip being narrower than said slots for insertion therethrough, and a plurality of pairs of longitudinally spaced apertures in said other end in longitudinal alignment with said pair of buttons, said buttons being adapted to be pressed into any one of said pairs of apertures for adjusting the size of said band.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,345,750 7/ 1920 Beaumont 2321 2,713,444 7/ 1955 Dombrowski 22325 2,726,797 12/1955 Kuenniger 22325 2,740,567 4/ 1956 Kaufman 223-84 2,958,889 11/ 1960 Greenblatt 2338 XR 3,155,987 11/1964 McGill 2322 3,156,923 11/1964 Timm 23 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

G. V. LARKIN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN ADJUSTABLE FORM FOR MAINTAINING A CAP IN PROPER SHAPE DURING THE DRYING THEREOF COMPRISING A FLAT ELONGATED PLASTIC STRIP OF UNIFORM THICKNESS FORMED IN THE SHAPE OF A CIRCULAR BAND, SAID STRIP BEING OF A UNIFORM HEIGHT FROM ONE END FOR A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF ITS LENGTH SAID STRIP HAVING A PAIR OF LONGITUDINALLY SPACED LATERALLY EXTENDING SLOTS THERETHROUGH ADJACENT SAID ONE END, AND A PAIR OF LATERALLY SPACED OUTWARDLY PORJECTING BUTTONS BETWEEN SAID SLOTS, THE OTHER END OF SAID STRIP BEING NARROWER THAN SAID SLOTS, FOR INSETION THERETHROUGH, AND A PLURALITY OF PAIRS OF LONGITUDINALLY SPACED APERTURES IN SAID OTHER END IN LONGITUDINAL ALIGNMENT WITH SAID PAIR OF BUTTONS, SAID BUTTONS BEING ADAPTED TO BE PRESSED INTO ANY ONE OF SAID PAIRS OF APERTURES FOR ADJUSTING THE SIZE OF SAID BAND. 